Darkness Rising
by Neon Synthesis
Summary: My first story. Sort of related to warcraft?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter I:

The Beginning

In the Shadowy Forests of Trok, a rider encased in a black cloak, speeds through the trees on his dark mount. Though his face cannot be seen, his cloak, outlined with runes and skulls, show that he is a dark sorcerer, one that practices magic beyond what is safe to normal wizards. Galloping through mud, thorns and soil, the mare is as relentless as its master. Finally reaching his Mt. Grimstone, the sorcerer reins his horse to a halt, and gets off. Tying his horse to a nearby tree, he goes directly in front of the mountain, and takes out an amethyst crystal pendant. Raising the pendant high with one arm, he mutters two incantations: "Aleth, sakorion, guthux." A dark light started appearing in front of the sorcerer. "Zamos, yeithod, hei!!" Then, a dark swirling portal appeared from the light, and he tucked the pendant inside his cloak as he walked inside.

After a few seconds, the sorcerer stepped out of the other side of the portal, into a huge black room, filled with hundreds of skeletons, old spell books, cobwebs, weapons and staves, and one large, stone coffin with a crystal podium at the end.

Taking out an unlit candle, he swept his hand across the top of the candle, and a small fire lit up, illuminating the darkness, just enough to see. Walking slowly toward the coffin, the sorcerer's footsteps echoed across the room, penetrating the still silence like glass breaking. Tip…..tap……tip….tap….tip…..tap...

As he got closer to the coffin, the room seemed to get colder, and the sound of his footstep grew smaller and smaller. The darkness swelled as if it had a mind of its own, and completely swallowed the room.

But the sorcerer wasn't surprised, and even though he could barely see anything, even with his candle's light (which was incredibly dim) which passed out, he eventually got to the coffin, and slowly put his hand on the podium next to it. He muttered, "It's me master…."

Suddenly, a mist of a thick, purplish-black haze rose up from the coffin, and morphed into a lich-like spirit, with cold, rotten bones, a skull with ice-blue fire inside, illuminating its eye holes with glacial light, and a purple sorcerer gown streaked with golden linings like crafted lightning, and a nefarious death-like hood that all liches wore.

"You called...?" ranted the ancient lich-like spirit.

"Yes master, I have retrieved what you desired," the sorcerer bowed and reached into his cloak with his wiry arm, slowly pulling out an emerald with red lines that wove together like a spider web.

"Aaahhh….., you have done well, Bloodwrath," the spirit reached over and took the spider-emerald away. "We will need use of the Ethereal Web for my rebirth……," the spirit chuckled with a chilling, throaty voice.

"Master?" asked the sorcerer uncertainly.

The spirit glared at him. "What is it.. Bloodwrath?" demanded the spirit. Seeing his trembling body, the spirit ranted, "So it's _another_ spell you want is it…Hmm….?" Waving his bony fingers (of his right arm) in the air like carving letters, the spirit wrote down incantations in the warlock language, and with each stroke, a line of blue fire followed it, thus creating words the same way as quill and paper.


	2. Chapter 2

Once the rows of incantations were done, he thrusted his bony left arm, and snapped his fingers. Then, the incantations swirled and swirled, until it suddenly jerked from side to side, and shot towards the sorcerer's forehead. With a blinding light, it entered his body, which glowed with crimson red for a few moments, then returned to normal.

Yelping with pain, the sorcerer dropped and turned over and over, clutching his forehead, which was seared with a dark mark; a red skull, symbol of his allegiance to the lich.

In an instant, the mark dissolved, and the pain disappeared. Bloodwrath, who had recovered from the unfathomable pain, held his trembling hands before him, the same way an adventurer holds treasure after a long and perilous journey. "Thank you, master…," he whispered.

"Now…..," The spirit rasped. "You will need to fetch me a host on which to thrive on, my little apprentice.." With those words, its eyes started burning, with cool misty ice, until a swirling vision appeared before him. In this portal, a small boy with yellow hair, was seated faraway from a large group of children. Fumbling with his fingers, he seemed to be conjuring up a pretty hard spell.

With a long sweep of his bony, ethereal hands, the vision swirled away. "You shall locate this boy in the river village of Allo Doreis'. Find and bring him back before the Black Moon, so I may prepare his body," the lich spirit commanded.

Bloodwrath stared at the space where the vision once was, and tried to bring back the face of the boy. "Why him?" He asked. "I can prepare a much better-

"DO NOT QUESTION ME!!!" The lich spirit roared. "If you fail this mission, you will lose more than your soul to me…., aagghhh." The spirit was being sucked back into the coffin. "Do not fail!!" it warned, as its head sunk into the cold abode of the coffin.

Clenching his fist as if the world was in his hands, he stood up and grinned evilly. "I never fail master..I never do." And uttering the incantations, he stepped into the swirling green portal to start his mission.

&&

"Whoa!! Awesome!!" a group of apprentice students-in-training awed as Dwelth, their elven sorcery teacher summoned roots from the rumbling earth, and made it tangle around his cloud-like staff. "This technique if called "Jal Theis," which means thorned roots in the elven tongue said the teacher coolly, as he made the roots descend back with a snap of his fingers. "Now," the elf teacher adjusted his iron-star spectacles. "Any questions?"

At the end of the crowd of students sat a boy was playing with the tiny rocks he found. Dwelth saw the boy as he checked around for attendance, and sighed. "Koren, please tell me the first step of the procedure to use this spell?" Koren turned around with a frown as the other students broke into small giggling fits.


	3. Chapter 3

"I don't know sir," replied Koren. "May you _kindly_ please repeat it for _me_?" The miniature rock golem crumpled into dust as he shifted his thoughts to his teacher.

"Why, of course-

"Sir, Sir!!" cried Aden, the villages most exasperating town crier.

Dwelth, rolling his eyes and frowning, turned around asked, "What is it _now_, Aden? A giant chicken flew out of the sky and ravaged all of our corn and honeves?"

Fits of giggles and laughter from the children filled the air, all but Koren, who summoned another rock golem from the dust and pebbles around him, and continued playing with it. Blushing crimson from embarrassment in front of a whole class of children, he meekly said, "The body of Eilon, the arch swordsman of Ancoria, was found along a road towards the Centaurus River."

Upon hearing the sudden news, Dwelth's face became hardened and serious.

"He was killed upon a road toward the river you say…, suppose he had something to deliver." He pondered his thoughts, staring off into the sapphire sky, while his students sat quietly and breathless. Finally, his eyes, which seemed fixed somewhere beyond the clouds, suddenly darted back into consciousness. "There are two possible explanations: He was trusted to carry an important message of war to the villagers, and was assaulted by a band of orcs from Roc, who have recently been seen trampling through the shadowy forests of Anendur, or….." Dwelth's face took on a grave expression. "He just happened to be trying to stop something, or someone from the access of the river, and died trying."

"Both possibilities hold grave tidings," said Aden sullenly. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Yes, if you may quickly send the word to Dalarus that I will be leaving soon with the boy."

"As you wish, Dwelth," Aden bowed and hastily left to his duty.

The students were whispering, wide-eyed and confused, and when their Elvin teacher turned toward them, they hushed into silence.

"Children, class is excused for today due to an unexpected event," Dwelth announced. "You may leave now."

Everybody got up and started walking towards the academy exit, conversing about what they just heard from their teacher and the town crier, all but one little boy, who was still poking his little "rock golem."

Dwelth sighed. "Koren, did you not hear me?" Koren slowly got up to his feet grumbling, and the animated pebbles immediately crumpled. He took his time to stroll slowly across the school grounds to the exit. As he was walking away, Dwelth thought to himself, "It is still hard to believe, after all these years, that this boy is a descendant of the Sun well Riders." Sighing again, for a great deal of a burden had been placed upon him; he uttered a few low chants, and with his hands made the sun symbol, disappeared in a blue blink.


	4. Chapter 4

He teleported into the front office of the Western Barracks, and scared the living daylights out of the people working there. Papers flew everywhere, as screams from women filled the air. Some stared at him with wide eyes of shock, and immediately slumped to the floor, unconscious. Dwelth rolled his eyes in annoyance, and sighed. He'd thought that the workers here would finally get used his usual "visits." The chaos died down, and the workers, realizing who it was, got back to their schedules and cleaned up the papers, but still suspiciously eyeing the Elvin mage, as he strode over to the C-class room. Pushing the brown, oaken door open, he walked in. Inside, he observed the room. Shelves, desks, and paintings of bloody battles, skirmishes, and wars were neatly placed across the room.

A giant desk at the back of the room was covered in stacks of folded paper, and among the papers was a brown-haired man with a stern yet gentle face.

He was signing papers at an amazing speed, the pen effortlessly skidding across the creamy white paper. Without looking up, he grumbled, "Nice to see you Dwelth." Dwelth grinned.

Strolling over to his desk, he picked up the fragile portrait of the girl, and asked in a friendly tone, "How old is your daughter again, Mark?" Mark put his pen down, and eyed him in a suspicious way, with one eyebrow cocked up.

"Dwelth, cut the nonsense. I know that you didn't come here to comment on my daughter." Dwelth put the picture down, and shrugged.

Then, with a stern face, he said "They're coming for Koren." Mark, the man of the military with a weary face that hid all of his emotions, leaned back on his armchair and thought for a while.

"I am guessing that you need my help, eh?" He grinned. "That's a first-timer, Dwelth."

The Elvin teacher nodded. "We need a quick gathering of troops to hold off the Necromancers, while I escape with Koren."

Mark's eyes widened. "Necro-Mancers?" he whispered, standing up. Dwelth gravely nodded again. Mark, now aware of the situation, quickly opened one of his desk drawers, and took out a blue scroll with an elvish design on it. "Take this, and pick whomever you wish to aid you in Building C." Getting out of his desk, he told Dwelth, with eyes of sheer hatred, "I will take care of the Necromancers." Dwelth bade farewell, and quickly strode out.

Koren, the brown-haired, shy child who always seemed interested in his own little world, but was always aware of everything around him, was of course listening to the conversation. Although the choice of being a magician was his from the start, he had always bore the thought of wielding a shining, bright blade in battle, and becoming a swordsman legend like Rosilian, the infamous man of lore, the teacher who taught Eilon the blade master for 2 years, and made him one of the most renown warriors of Ancoria.


	5. Chapter 5

Then again, the path of a magician was indeed easier, safer, and more powerful. Walking along a dusty brown road toward his cabin, Koren sighed. He looked up to the sky. White, cotton clouds passed by dreamily through the blue sky, and Koren stood and pondered a while. Then, he looked away, and again dragged himself towards his cabin. After trudging through criss-crossing paths, and an underground shortcut, he finally arrived at the front of his cozy, white cabin. Smiling at his freshly-painted cabin, he entered his cabin. It took him a year or so, but he finally made his stuffy abode as large, cozy, and decorative as possible. Getting past his herb-scented kitchen, he swung himself onto his bed. The contents of his pack spilled out, and although some remained on the bed, most of it fell off. Grumbling, he pulled himself up, and bent down to pick the books. "What good is it to bury yourself in textbooks, unless you grow up to be a librarian?" He mumbled, as he picked up each book, and placed them onto his flat iron desk, which was already pretty stacked. His hand grazed a particular amber book, and he rested his gaze on it. It was his favourite reading book, ever since he found it locked up in a magical safe. With his cunning and talent, he managed to free the book without getting injured or killed (sealed or locked up items usually included dangerous traps and conditions). It was an adventure book, and on the front it said property of Ar…, since the rest of the name was covered in scar marks. He dropped the other blue history book he was holding, and went to pick up the amber storybook. Surprisingly, it had about a 1000 pages or so, each page with extremely tiny letters. On the cover, there were gold linings around a particular blood-red gem, and the title was "Born of the Sun." Resting the book in his lap, he swept his hand across the book cover, feeling the leathery, red coating, and the golden lining, to the gem. That's when it changed his life. Forever.

The red jewel began to tremor slowly. A pulse of magic shot through the gem, and snaked its way across Koren's right hand, binding it. Yelping in surprise, Koren pulled backwards at the iron grip of the strange, glowing magic. But, his hand held still in place, frozen. As he was frantically trying to pull his hand away in fear, he could feel the strange pulse of magic melting into his hands. "I'm going to die…. I'm going to die…" he thought as the stinging pain of the magic burnt into the flesh of his arm. Taking a glance at the gem, which was now a brilliant clear color, he stopped pulling away.

A memory started to flash through his mind…. A handsome man who was blissfully kissing a fair lady, stroking a bundle that she held. She unwrapped the top of the bundle, and kissed the little forehead of a sleeping infant. In response, the baby cuddled inside the bundle, and smiled in his sleep. They were near a beautiful beach, with many assortments of shells and smooth pebbles scattered across the smooth, white sand. The Sun, a glowing red ball of fire, was slowly descending into the wide, foamy expanse of the sea, and streaked the horizon with a luscious, amber flush. The man stared out into the ocean, smiling at the beautiful sunset. Spiked, green palm trees, and pink, moonflower vines also added to this beautiful view….Suddenly, the image shattered into millions of shards, and Koren blinked back into reality. No longer in shock and fear, he tried to take back what he just saw in his mind….That man, and that lady both seemed too familiar. He scratched the back of his in confusion. Then, he paused for a moment.

Then, he moved his right arm slowly in front of him. Strange, red marks were embedded into his arms, which pulsed vibrantly. An unknown substance had entered his arm when he was lost in the memory, and it wasn't mana, the normal magical energy that all wizards inhabited. Staring hard at his arm, he realized, that the substance was alive, and was seeping throughout his veins, and his energy tubes. Holding his breath, he shook his hands around, flexed his muscles, and tested his fingers, in case this was a killer toxin. Finally, he rested his gaze upon the book. The gem was now a white, swirling color, and a glittering gold scroll was rested near it. He shook his head, and closed his eyes for a few moments, the standard procedure to reveal illusions that he learned in school (he was lazy, but he had incredible memory, that's how he passes his exams). He opened his eyes slowly, and the book and the scroll were still there. And, (he looks down at his right arm) the marks were still scarred onto his hand. Suddenly, behind him, a blue flash burst out, and from it opened a portal. It sounded as if the air itself was screaming, ripping itself, and Koren covered his ears quickly, for the sound surely would of drove him mad, if he hadn't. Whirling around, he gasped as he saw his Elvin teacher, Dwelth, climb out of the portal. Behind him, several other people stepped out. One was a red-haired swordsman, and another was a big, bulky man with a big, brown scar across his left eye. As more people stepped out of the screaming portal, and covered their ears, Koren only had one thought in mind: "Why me?? Why me, why now?"


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 2: A Grave Farewell

Cursing, Dwelth dusted ripped robes, and got up. Finally, the fourth and last person came out, a girl of Koren's age, but with better clothes and an assortment of daggers running along a brown snake-skin belt. With a sharp snap of his fingers, Dwelth closed the portal in a blink of blue.

Turning his attention to Koren, he said, "There is a war being fought now in the city, so it is best if you left with us." Koren, trying to act cook despite being incredibly confused, asked, "Then why is it that you aren't there in the battle grounds fighting along the other warriors?"

"You should know better to talk to your superiors," She snapped. "Now, do you want to come with us, or have your body used like a marionette for the incoming necromancers?" Dwelth and the other 3 people "Crystal, step back." Pulling her back, Dwelth suddenly noticed the book Koren held in his arms, and the white gem on it. His eyes slanted, and he spoke to him in a tired voice. "I see that you've received your powers back."

"Powers?" Koren inquired, looking confused. Then, he remembered the red, mana-like material that entered his body. "That stuff was originally mine?"

"If by stuff you mean the romai'lon, then yes. Let's just say that the necro-mancers are after that stuff. Come with us for now, and ask questions later, or you'll regret it later." Dwelth grinned as he held out his hand. "Just like school."

Koren eyed him with a doubtful stare, and then slapped his hand away, getting up with a frown. "I'll go. As long as Ms. Superior here doesn't comment on how I talk."

"What did you say?!?" the girl spat, as she was held back Dwelth, who rolled his eyes.

"Children….." the elven-mage thought, and shook his head. "A new generation of even _weirder_ kids than at my time….."

Finally, trusting his life to him, he walked outside with them stealthily, as his teacher had instructed him before they set off. The only information Koren could squeeze out of Dwelth in the cabin, was that an invading army of Necromancers were heading toward the city, and that Koren had an incredibly powerful weapon of destruction that they could use to render more dead, and rule the world of Miazara.

Taking the open travel road from the outskirts of the city to the sea, Dwelth had cast an invisibility charm over the party, in case the enemy had spies looking for them. So, they had to travel alongside the road to avoid being run over by horses. Looking around at the party, Koren saw that he could see a thin outline around the invisible people, barely noticeable, so only if you looked closely you could notice that. he thought, as he passed trees by and by. A squirrel nearby heard him, and quickly scattered away as the group approached silently. "Apparently not silent enough for animals," Koren thought to himself.

"Goliath, stop tramping on the leaves!" a woman of the group hissed silently. Having only enough sight to see the outline of the people, Goliath, a bulky-builded man, wasn't sure who to retort back comments at, and grunted and hurried on.

Surprisingly, no one was having trouble seeing each other. All living things had mana of their own, the amount depending on what living thing it was. While casting a cloaking spell over the party, he had also put an Energy-Leaking charm on them, one that opened an ethereal hole to their mana tubes. Mana was slowly leaking out of them, but as it leaked out, it aided Dwelth in keeping the invisibility charm going, and also gave them a small, visible outline of their shapes. The more the mana a person has, the more visible he/she is. So, as they turned away from the traveling road, and Dwelth looked


End file.
